Welcome to UXOInfo.com's free monthly E-Newsletter on Unexploded Ordnance (UXO). UXOInfo.com is the largest site on the Internet for UXO related news and information. If you have not checked out the UXOInfo.com website, we encourage you to do so at www.uxoinfo.com. In addition to bringing you the latest UXO news and information, the UXOInfo.com website also provides the following:

• UXO Resume Response Line
• Ordnance / UXO Photo Gallery
• Documentation Sharing

• UXO News Wire Service
• Munitions Database
• UXO Question and Answer

The UXO E-Newsletter is issued monthly to provide the industry with important news and information related to UXO. For information on how to advertise in future UXO E-Newsletters please email the UXOInfo.com Marketing Coordinator, Ms. Jenna Coven at jenna@uxoinfo.com.

If you do not wish to receive the UXO E-Newsletter in the future, simply use the un-subscribe link provided at the bottom of this newsletter. If you have any questions or comments on UXOInfo.com or the UXO E-Newsletter please email them to information@uxoinfo.com. The UXO E-Newsletter and UXOInfo.com are the copyright of Focus and Leap, Inc. This UXO E-Newsletter may be copied and distributed.

Please Stay Safe This Busy Field Season

Summer is finally here and the busy UXO field season is well underway. Along with the busy UXO field season, the summer also brings with it increased outdoor activities. Occasionally these activities inadvertently (or sometimes purposely) involve UXO. This moth UXOInfo.com brings you several interesting articles involving recreational activities where UXO was encountered including beach-going, dog walking, and fishing.

This month we are saddened to report on two more deaths within the EOD community in the on-going wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. UXOInfo.com would like to extend a Thank You to all those who are serving (and those who have served) to protect this great country, especially all of the EOD Technicians who are serving on the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan. To all the serving EOD Technicians - "Thank you for all you do and please stay safe".

During this busy field season please remember to keep UXOInfo.com in mind for all of you UXO staffing needs. In addition to our UXO Resume Response Line and Help Wanted Ads, we now provide a subscription service to our UXO Technician Network service. Corporate subscribers to the network can send out email announcements directly to UXO Technicians including specifications on available opportunities and UXO project staffing needs. Never be short staffed for any of your UXO projects again. For more information on the UXO Technician Network please email me, Jenna at jenna@uxoinfo.com.

Congressional Testimony on Lessons Learned in FUDS MMRP

Washington, D.C.- The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released testimony that was presented to the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service and the District of Columbia, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, House of Representatives covering "Lessons Learned from the Cleanup of FUDS and Military Munitions Sites". While the testimony focused on the Spring Valley site as the primary example, the lessons learned summarized and presented were applicable to the FUDS munitions program as a whole. The lessons learned were broken down into four themes including:

• Impacts that shortcomings in available information and guidance can have on decision-making.
• Impacts that incomplete data on site conditions and emerging contaminants can have on the development of cost estimates and schedules.
• How funding may be influenced or impacted by overall program goals and other priorities.
• How better coordination is needed among regulators and property owners to increase public confidence in the program.

The testimony itself did not provide any new significant findings or lessons learned but rather referenced and summarized previous studies and program evaluations conducted by the GAO over the previous years including the GAO's assessment of the cleanup of Spring Valley in 2002, the assessment of the FUDS program in 2003, and the assessment of DoD's munitions response program in 2004.

The overall conclusion of the testimony was that DoD should use all of the data available in the development of plans and estimates and that regulators and property owners should be integrally involved in the process.

View the entire testimony from UXOInfo.com.

Propellant Canister Washes Ashore Along Public Beach

Garden City Beach, South Carolina- A beachgoer walking in the shallow surf came across a canister floating in the water. After scraping several barnacles off the item, the letters "USA DoD" stenciled on the canister became visible. Concerned that the item was potentially dangerous, the beachgoer called the police who responded with technical support from the Horry County Bomb Squad. Police cordoned off an area of 100 yards in all directions as the bomb squad investigated the item.

The canister was reported as 3 feet long and 6 inches in diameter with the following text stenciled - ``USA DOD" "42 lb cannon propellant charge Department of Defense''. The bomb squad coordinated with a military EOD unit over the phone and determined that the item was safe to move. The bomb squad removed the item from the beach for proper disposal and re-opened the beach to visitors.

Ordnance Found at Landfill

California, Maryland Workers at the St. Mary's landfill in southern Maryland sifting through discarded metal debris came across an old military projectile. The workers called the police who responded with state fire marshal officials and a bomb squad. The 316th Air Force EOD unit based out of Andrews Air Force Base was also contacted for support. EOD responded and removed the projectile to safe area where it was destroyed in an open detonation operation. Authorities are not sure how the ordnance ended up in the landfill or who may have discarded it. No other ordnance debris was reported.

Navy Enforces Explosives Safety Zone Restrictions on Soccer Fields

Pearl Harbor, Hawaii- A large portion the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park, developed about eight years ago, lies within the Explosive Safety Quantity Distance (EQSD) area of munitions buildings owned and operated by the U.S. Navy. The city's lease agreement with the Navy states specifically that "no building or structure of any nature shall be placed upon lands within the ESQD area". However, up till now the Navy has never enforced the restriction and has allowed temporary structures such as tents and restrooms to be constructed and placed in the area.

The recent decision to enforce the regulation has caused uproar among the community and users of the soccer complex. Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hanneman's office is now involved and is working to petition the Navy to develop a compromise to allow tents to be constructed in the area so that players and spectators have a way to escape the hot sun. Over 70% (16 out of 22) of the soccer fields are impacted by the regulation. Unless a compromise is reached, the users of the complex will be required to adhere to the requirement from now on.

Dog Fetches Grenade for Unsuspecting Owner

Erkrath, Germany- A 40-year old woman walking her dog near a stream in western Germany's Neander Valley decided to take the dog off the leash so it could run down by the stream along the walkway. After taking a dip in the water, the dog returned to the woman with a hand grenade in its mouth. When the woman noticed what the item was, she quickly ordered the dog to return the item back to the stream.

Luckily for the woman the dog was very obedient and lucky for the dog the grenade did not function in the process of being handled. After the dog dropped the hand grenade along the shoreline, the woman called the police to report the find. The police dispatched a munitions expert to the scene who identified the grenade as a WWII era U.S. MK II Hand Grenade. A bomb disposal unit was then called in to safely detonate the grenade to dispose of it.

Established 35 years ago, EA Engineering, Science and Technology, Inc. is a small business, which has done nearly $1 Billion in HTRW/MEC investigation, restoration, design, and remediation in the last 15 years. EA has supported USACE, AFCEE, ANG and the Navy at thousands of sites nationwide under multiple DOD programs--including MMRP, SRP, IRP, FUDS and BRAC.

With 19 offices nationwide, EA is considered a leader in both HTRW and MEC. EA received the 2008 Environmental Business Journal Achievement Award for their work in the MEC Market. EA's staff of more than 400 professionals integrates MEC/UXO specialists, geologists, engineers, regulatory specialists, risk assessors, data management and communication specialists to provide practical solutions that help their clients achieve their business goals.

EA's standard of excellence is to consistently provide their clients with the highest level of technical competence, strong project management, worksite safety, quality control, and financial accountability.

For more information on EA, please visit their website at www.eaest.com.

With over 14 years of Environmental Remediation expertise, Enscicon Corporation has established an industry-leading approach to locating and attracting top-level talent for our clients. With a team dedicated to the UXO/MEC/EOD industries, we are able to assist in supporting clients with exceptional personnel including:

• Program Managers
• Project Managers
• Operations Managers
• Project Scientists (Geophysicists, Geologists, Physicists)
• UXO Techs
• Health & Safety Engineers
• Environmental Engineers
• Technical Writers/Illustrators

For more information, please see our website at www.enscicon.com, or contact Jack Hamlin at hamlinj@enscicon.com or 303-785-8028.

Schonstedt Instrument Company is the world's leading manufacturer of hand-held Fluxgate magnetometers for UXO and weapons detection. Schonstedt magnetic locators find ferrous metal targets used in landmines, buried ordnance, other munitions and explosives of concern (MEC), and hidden weapons. They have been tested and proven by the US military, private contractors and NGOs in military and humanitarian de-mining operations around the globe. For a 1-page overview of the company's magnetic locator product line, go to www.findordnance.com

Schonstedt Instrument Company
100 Edmond Road
Kearneysville, WV 25430
USA
Contact: Tylee Ulmer

Information on Corporate Sponsorships can be found in the UXO Opportunities Brief. If you have any questions on Corporate Sponsorships or want to sign up, please contact the UXOInfo.com Marketing Coordinator, Ms. Jenna Coven at jenna@uxoinfo.com or 267.295.8010.

UXO Uncovered During Trenching Operation

Jasper County, Oklahoma a construction crew digging a trench for a natural gas pipeline uncovered a small cache of WWII era UXO. The construction crew reported the find to the local emergency management agency that responded with a bomb squad from the Mississippi Department of Homeland Security. The 704th Ordnance Detachment EOD based in Camp Shelby also provided technical support.

EOD identified the munitions as WWII era practice bombs. 20 UXO were found in all. Several of the heavily rusted bombs reportedly contained live white phosphorus spotting charges. EOD safely disposed of the UXO without incident and the construction crews were allowed to return to work.

The portion of the 500-mile pipeline where the UXO were found is within the limits o a former WWII era bombing range. The pipeline installation is scheduled to be completed in July. The potential exist for other UXO to be in the area given the history of the site as a WWII era bombing range.

Teenager Takes Found Grenade Into A Grocery Store

Monmouth, Wales- A 13-year old boy playing in a creek next to a shopping center found an old grenade in the shallow water. The boy decided to show the grenade to his mother who was busy shopping in the nearby grocery store. When the mother noticed what the boy was carrying, she quickly took the grenade from him before calling the police from her cell phone.

A police officer arrived to the store and took the grenade from the mother and questioned the boy on where it had been found. Concerned for the safety of everyone around, the police officer decided to carry the grenade out of the store. The officer took the greande back down to the edge of the nearby river where it was originally found before calling EOD.

When the EOD team responded, they identified the grenade as a live WWII era hand grenade. Luckily for everyone involved, the grenade was not fuzed. EOD safely transported and disposed of the grenade without incident.

The focus of UXO Resume Response Line is to match qualified and available UXO professionals with the personnel needs of the UXO industry. Whether your UXO project requires part-time temporary UXO Technicians or full-time permanent UXO professionals the UXO Resume Response Line can help. Under the UXO Resume Response Line, UXOInfo.com will pre-screen candidates for you using a customized screening process. The UXO Resume Response Line is designed for companies looking to fill unique or specialized positions.

For companies seeking to hire general help including temporary UXO Technicians on a project-by-project basis to augment existing staff during busy field seasons, UXOInfo.com is now offering an expanded service under the UXO Resume Response Line - the UXO Technician Network. By subscribing to the UXO Technician Network, companies can access the largest on-line network of qualified and available UXO Technicians to staff any type of UXO project. Companies looking for qualified and available UXO Technicians email UXOInfo.com project specifications (e.g., location, scope, duration, levels and numbers of positions available). UXOInfo.com then creates a customized announcement that will be emailed to the hundreds of registered UXO Technicians in the network. Interested and available candidates respond directly to the point of contact provided in the announcement.

For more information on the UXO Resume Response Line and the UXO Technician Network including 6-month and 12-month subscription rates please contact the UXOInfo.com Marketing Coordinator, Jenna Coven at jenna@uxoinfo.com.

Enter your resume into the UXOInfo.com UXO Resume Database and start receiving offers and opportunities in the UXO industry. Use the UXO Profile Entry Form and complete your free profile today. By completing a profile, you automatically become part of the UXO Resume Response Line and UXO Technician Network. Sign up for free and start receiving UXO opportunities.

Afghanistan- Marine EOD Warrant Officer Ricky Richardson died in the line of duty in the western region of Afghanistan. The military has not released specifics about the cause of his death but unverified reports indicate that he was responding to an IED call when the incident occurred.

Ricky Richardson was based from the 9th Engineer Support Battalion in Okinawa, Japan before his deployment to Afghanistan on his sixth combat tour in February. The 13 year veteran of the Marine Corps was 33 years old and a native of Sullivan, Missouri. He leaves behind a wife and an 8-year old son.

Iraq- Army Staff Sgt. Edmond L. Lo, 23, of Salem, New Hampshire died in Samarra City, Iraq, when an IED that his EOD team was acting to neutralize detonated. He was assigned to the 797th Ordnance Company, 79th Ordnance Battalion, Fort Hood, Texas. Since joining the military after high school, Edmond received the Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon and Overseas Service Ribbon. He was on his second tour of duty in Iraq when he died and is survived by five siblings and his mother.

Panama City, Florida A 37-year old man fishing 50 miles off the coast of Panama City in the Gulf of Mexico caught more than just fish when he pulled in a missile. The man reportedly kept the eight-foot long missile strapped to roof of his boat for 10 days before returning to port in Madeira Beach, near St. Petersburg. When the man reported the find to police, they responded with a civilian bomb squad. After confirming that the item was military ordnance, the bomb squad called the EOD unit from MacDill AFB for technical support.

EOD identified the corroded missile as a live AIM-9. EOD rendered the missile safe in a nearby parking lot before transporting it off-site for proper disposal. The Air Force reported that the missile most likely came from a training exercise conducted in August 2004 by the 53rd weapons evaluation group based out of Tyndall AFB.

A local Florida news station covering the story interviewed the un-identified man who reportedly stated - "I had it strapped to the roof of my boat as we rode through lightning storms.....I wasn't scared."

Guadalcanal Island Four fishermen were hospitalized with serious injuries when a UXO item they were dismantling exploded. Police are still investigating the accident but reports indicate that the men were trying to dismantle a WW II era UXO in order to extract the explosives out for use in a practice known as "Dynamite Fishing". Dynamite Fishing involves setting off an underwater explosive charge in an area which stuns nearby fish. When the fish float to the surface they are gathered up. The men are reported to be in serious but stable condition.

Ammonium Picrate, also known as Explosive D, Ammonium trinitrophenolate,or Dunnite is a high explosive used in military munitions. The explosive strength of Ammonium Picrate is slightly weaker than that of TNT. It is a crystalline material yellow, yellow-orange, or red in color.

When subjected to heat, Ammonium Picrate decomposes and burns like tar or resin. It is relatively difficult to detonate (requires a booster) therefore; it is used in munitions that have to withstand severe shock and stresses before detonating such as armor-piercing bombs and projectiles as well as coastal artillery munitions. Ammonium Picrate us used a main charge for all Navy projectiles over 3-inch caliber.

Article continued on UXOInfo.com.